Magic and Morality
by Sweeney B
Summary: An attempt to document the 'grey' areas of the Harry Potter world, not as 'good' as Dumbledore's Army, and not as evil as the Death Eaters. A magical thief tries to make his way in two worlds, the world of Muggles and the world of magic.
1. A Pirate's Life For Me

**Greetings all, I decided to try my hand at a new story, and figured I'd give Harry Potter a go. I must confess I haven't read Rowling's work in ages so there maybe inaccuracies in both the Potter facts and my basic Spanish. If you lot like it, PM me and I'll keep writing. Also, for this story I took an Animagus test and got 100% Wolf, so the protagonist is a Wolf Animagus. If you want to try it, I'll give you the link. I'd be interested to see what you lot get. I'll try to put more magic in the next chapter. **

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**Harry Potter is the work of J.K Rowling. I own sweet bugger all. **

The air in the Red Dragon was thick with smoke and the odour of alcohol, the smell of home to an Animagus and a leprechaun sat in a secluded area of the room. Jay Archer winked at the barmaid as she brought him and his short companion a pint of Basilisk Lager, receiving a playful wink back. Seamus O'Riley, the leprechaun, tutted dramatically and took a draught of his drink. "You are a reprobate Jay Archer; now tell me why you dragged me out to a pub on an island off the Welsh Coast." Jay sniggered under his breath and drained half his drink in a single draught. "Because the Red Dragon is the finest drinking establishment outside of your beloved Ireland and because I need your help Seamus." The leprechaun raised an eyebrow questioningly and asked simply "The Ministry caught up with you again, Jay? You really should be more careful." Jay nodded curtly and smiled impishly. "They'll never catch me Seamus; I just need a safe house to lie low for a while. And a little luck wouldn't hurt either." Seamus sighed; Jay always pushed his luck too far. "Did you steal from Gringotts again?" Jay shook his head and pulled a face of mock shock. "Me? I wouldn't dare…." Seamus interrupted suddenly, "Jay, you're buying these drinks with money you pilfered from the Minister's personal vault. Don't give me that." Jay smiled brazenly "Well let's keep the rounds coming then! Barmaid, again if you please!"

A week later the quiet night of Zaragoza, capital of the Aragon region of Spain was suddenly split by the crack of an illegal Apparition as Jay Archer appeared outside the house of his friend and associate Herman Cortez, a black magic market dealer. He caught his reflection in Cortez's window; dark leather jacket, black jeans and a dark green bandana the same colour as his eyes which obscured his dark brown hair to try and keep himself incognito. After vainly admiring his reflection, he smiled and knocked on Cortez's door. He was answered by a short man with a thick black moustache, thinning hair and a simple brown shirt. "Ah, Jay, I was wondering when you would arrive _a mi casa_. Maria has retired for the evening so it's just us _amigo_. You say you need a safe house Jay? _Una casa seguro_?" Jay smiled warmly "_Si_, Herman, for a while. I've got another job soon. Trust fund's running low. Is my room as I left it?" Cortez nodded and gestured to the roaring fireplace. Jay dipped his head in gratitude and grabbed a handful of silvery powder. Throwing the powder into the fire and shouting "Jay's room", the fire turned bright emerald-green and Jay Archer vanished into the flames.

'Jay's room' was spartan and differing from other rooms in two key aspects; the first was that it was connected to absolutely nothing except by an unregistered Floo network. The other divergence from the norm was the fact it was located about a hundred meters below ground, the air kept at a condition suitable for breathing and the walls safe from the crushing pressure of thousands of tonnes of earth by magic. There was a fireplace, a bed, a modest bookshelf and a fridge which the room's sole occupant was raiding for beer. Jay plundered a can and collapsed onto the single bed and picked a copy of the Daily Prophet from the floor. Finding nothing of particular interest, he looked back over his plans of Vault 2207. His man on the inside of Gringotts said the owner of the vault has received a massive influx of golden Galleons. Some kind of wizarding pureblood princess or something, according to his source. No name however, Jay observed with some confusion. Usually each vault had the name of the owner emblazoned somewhere, especially among the purebloods as a result of their bloated pride. Jay, being a half blood, looked up at the purebloods with a mixture of contempt and arrogant amusement. Blinded by their own avarice, they were ridiculously easy to steal from. Gringotts boasted the best magical defences in the world with a huge range of charms protecting the vaults, however Jay had found their defenses against Muggle tools to be completely non-existent. After entering Gringotts in his unregistered wolf form and posing as a new guard beast, a simple set of lockpicks had broken him into the Minister's personal vault and he hadn't even broken an anchor. That had been 3 years ago, and the money flow had only recently begun to slow. But a scoundrel had to live, and the opportunity to knock a pureblood off her pedestal and onto her arse was too good to pass up. And with his record, it was hardly an option to find honest work. His mobile phone interrupted his thoughts, a text from Seamus. "The money will be out of the vault by Sunday. Today is Tuesday if you're too drunk to remember. Be careful Jay; your luck won't last forever. Seamus." Jay chuckled and lit the fire to return to the surface.

Cortez was cooking breakfast when he arrived. "_Buenos manana_, Mister Archer. Care for something to eat, _amigo_?" Jay nodded, sat down at the table ad began to eat when suddenly a soft female voice rang out from behind him. "Ah, _El Diablo_ returns. When can we be expecting the _policia_, hmm?" Cortez's wife, Maria giggled and wandered over to plant a small kiss on Jay's cheek before hugging Cortez. "Seamus said the Ministry is catching up, but I'll be long gone before they get a bead on me. I'll be out of here by the weekend." Maria tutted and wagged her finger at Jay. "You hardly ever visit, unless you're on the run from the law, at least come to church Sunday. The little ones miss you." Jay nodded, then asked "Is the 1200 still here? I'll visit the orphanage before I go. I'm sure the nuns will be pleased to see me too." Jay laughed as he walked from the kitchen to the garage, and mounted the large two-wheeled hulk of metal inside. He'd built the bike himself out of 'donations' courtesy of the Ministry. His foot smashed into the kick-start and the machine roared into life. "Drive safe _mi amigo_" Cortez raised his hand from the doorway and Maria waved her goodbyes before they retreated inside. Jay shut the door with a flick of his ancestral wand – a rare manticore heartstring core, inherited from his wizard father – and rode out of the garage and began to head towards the orphanage, his bike eating up the miles like a ravenous Troll.


	2. Sins Of The Past

**Gratitude to all my readers and reviewers, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. J K Rowling owns all of the material, but you already know that, eh?**

Jay woke up dazed and disorientated; he was in a dark cell with his hands bound behind his back. He sat up on the filthy mattress and stared out through the bars, in to the black nothingness that was a Dementor's face. "Morning, sweetheart. Is it morning?" Jay stretched experimentally, finding no major damage and waited for the creature's reply. When none was forthcoming, he continued "I promise you won't like the taste of my soul, gorgeous. Too much sin and all" The Dementor glided silently away, to make way for three wizards. Two were identical government types; black suits, black ties, black trousers, black socks, black sunglasses (even in the gloom of Azkaban),black gelled hair and a magical hearing piece that some said could pick up thoughts as well as sounds. Cortez had been trying to get his hands on one for years. The third man was very similar in all aspects to the men behind him expect his whole face could be seen due to the absence of sunglasses. An aristocratic face, expertly controlled through years of practice. He spoke in a voice well used to command, "Your bravado is admirable, Mister Archer but also laughable. I am Henry Garfeld. I work for the Ministry of Magic and you are under arrest for felonies too extensive to recall at present time." He gestured to someone out of sight and was handed a large, thick file. Jay produced a low whistle "If that's all on me, then no wonder you caught me. How exactly did you catch me, by the way?" Garfeld withdrew a document from the file and handed the file to one of the suits behind him. "The Sister Superior of the nunnery you were visiting informed us of your presence in Spain. It was then a simple action to apprehend you. That however is unimportant. This, on the other hand, is." He held the document aloft before Jay and passed it through the bars of his cell. Jay's eyes danced across the page as he read the document of his redemption.

"This document indemnifies that the bearer of this document be absolved of any and all transgressions against the Ministry of Magic, regardless of frequency or severity of offence; in addition he will receive just remuneration for his actions… " Jay read the words out loud but the words felt distant and unreal. He passed it back through the bars and asked "So let me get this straight. I do one thing for you and my entire record goes up in smoke?" Garfeld nodded and retrieved the file and took out another file. "You are to locate and capture the following fugitives. They have eluded the Ministry since the War, we believe that as a criminal, you may have an advantage we don't." Jay looked at each picture and shook his head. "These are Death Eaters. Not part of the Inner Circle, mind, but still. When you release me from this fine establishment, do you expect me not to disappear again?" Jay smirked at Garfeld, who maintained his stony stare in reply. "Mister Archer, you have been implanted with a small microchip. Muggle technology but augmented by a few charms and suchlike. We'll know where you are every second of everyday. If you decline this offer, the chip will remain implanted on your person. If you accept, it will be removed upon completion of your task, and will be destroyed along with everything we have on you. Do we have a deal, Mister Archer?" With a flick of his wand, the bindings on Jay's wrists vanished. He stood up and rubbed his wrists to regain feeling, before spitting in his hand and thrusting it through the bars at Garfeld, smirking "Deal." Garfeld looked at Jay in disgust before handing him the document and an elaborate quill of eagle feather "Your signature will suffice, Mister Archer. Sign in the designated area, please Mister Archer." Jay grinned and signed his name where he was told. Garfeld withdrew the document before he could change his mind. "Your wand and personal effects will be returned to you on your release from Azkaban. Your first target is one Dimitri Reznov. Our sources place him in South America, in Columbia. He is a major figure in the drug trade, using magic to bypass the Muggle security there and ship his merchandise all over the world. We know you have your own sources in South America, in particular one Trisha Ashely. Oh yes, we know about her Mister Archer. And we know you 'liberate' valuable archaeological items from tombs for her. The Muggle artefacts hold no interest for us, but you and the Ministry's forces have clashed multiple times over archaic magical treasures. Another nail in your coffin, Mister Archer." As the bars swung open, Jay stepped out and asked dangerously "Was that a threat, you son of a …" Jay's profane reply was cut off by a harsh yell of "Stupefy" and his world turned black once again.

Jay woke up this time on a private plane. Another agent was sat opposite him, a brunette with her hair in a bun and a laptop in her lap. She was dressed like a secretary and regarded Jay with mild contempt. "Will you people stop doing that? It's a pain in the arse." The agent stiffened and replied in a harsh tone "You are a wretched reprobate and deserve far worse than that. Understand that I don't like this assignment and I don't like you. Mr Garfeld instructed me to be your handler, and I am ordered to contain you if you do not comply with my instructions. You do what I say, when I say. Am I understood, Mister Archer?" She glared at him as he played idly with a wooden crucifix around his neck. He replied with a deliberately crude innuendo, "Well whatever you're into, Miss…" She spat a wordless insult as she went for her wand, but Jay was quicker. "Stupefy!" The agent was knocked out by a blast of red light and Jay relaxed. She'd wake up later, probably even angrier, but that would be dealt with later. He got up, retrieved her laptop and began the laborious task of finding out everything he could about his new best friend.


	3. I'm A Pirate, You're A Princess

**Hello to you all; many thanks for reading. J. owns Harry Potter, not me (I know, shocking)**

She woke up in a cold dark cell. Everything was dark, but she could feel that the walls of the cell were rough rock; the cell was probably carved out of a cave wall. Before she could explore any further, the iron door swung open and a flash of fur and fangs leapt in, barking and growling. "Fenris, down!" Jay Archer shouted at the black and white collie that became slightly more subdued but still growled in the agent's direction. The agent looked at her captor; he'd changed out of his usual attire into khaki cargo pants, and a black vest covered by a faded black jacket with the right sleeve missing. She could see on his chiselled arm a lattice of tattoos and scars, but one stood out on his bicep. A rose all in black, with three thorns on the stem with a drop falling from each. It was the symbol of the Black Thorn gang, a foul collection of magical criminals in the Southern American area. Archer conjured up a chair with a flick of his wand, and sat down, Fenris curling up by his feet as he did so. He threw the agent her wand and warned "There are two very nasty pieces of work outside that'll kill you if you use that on me. Now I'm going to ask some questions now, and depending on how you answer, you'll either be spending the night on a bed, or the floor of a Troll pit. Your choice, pet." Jay sat back in his chair, awaiting answer. She scowled at him and snarled "Well? What are you waiting for?" She flinched at a vicious laugh originating from just outside the cell. "She does not like you, does she Jay? They usually only get bitchy after you've fooled around with them!" A short brutish man stepped into the cell and looked at the agent hungrily. He was wearing similar apparel to Jay, his rose tattoo emblazoned on his bare right arm. "Get out Bill. Now." Jay didn't look up from the agent as Bill scoffed and turned to leave before yelling a reply over his shoulder "Fine, but don't be too rough. I want some of that later." Jay shook his head and uttered "Accio laptop". The laptop in question flew into the cell and landed in Jay's hands, and he began to read from the screen. "Hey that's mine…" The agent began to stand to protest, but Fenris cut her off with a loud snarl. "Down…" Jay stroked the dog's head and muzzle and cleared his throat. "So, Miss Delilah Ruchirat, where shall we start?"

Delilah woke up a few hours later to hear a conversation outside the door. She'd never been good at sleeping and being questioned by a man she found morally repulsive and left in a cold dark cell with two guards that would do far worse than just kill her, given half a chance, didn't help matters. "She's asleep at the minute Trish, besides Javier told me he'd put a silencing charm on the door." That voice was definitely Jay; the second voice was feminine and possessed of a slight exotic accent she couldn't place. "But are you sure you saw what you thought you saw? After all these are dreams, Jay…" That voice must belong to Trisha Ashley, the leader of the gang that held her captive. Jay then responded strongly "You know I've had these types of dreams before. I know I'm no good at Divination when I'm awake but these dreams usually come true and I know what I saw." Trisha scoffed at him and replied "You dreamt she kissed you. And that's supposed to mean she'll help us?" Jay's voice became a low threatening growl, "Don't push me Trish. There's every chance I'll be wrong. But these dreams usually happen, I don't know when or how. It might be years from now, it might be next week. It's even less reliable or exact than normal Divination but it's something eh?" With that, the conversation seemed to stop and Delilah fell back into a deep sleep.

She awoke this time in a car. She had been curled up with her head on the window, a jacket for a pillow. She pretended to still be asleep as she observed her new surroundings. Jay was driving, and he was in a simple white tank top. Presumably it was his jacket she was sleeping on. The car was a simple 4x4, she didn't know the make or model despite trying to seem knowledgeable on 'guy' subjects to impress male friends and colleagues. The radio was on and Jay was singing in Spanish under his breath to the music. The sun was blindingly bright through his window, which was wound down and the wind was playing with his hair. Her eyes dropped for a minute and when she opened them again the car had stopped. They were in a motel car park and the entire thing looked like it could be bought on a week's salary at the Ministry. She got up and out of the car, and walked dizzily over to Jay who was in a conversation with presumably the motel's owner. Jay handed him a few gold coins and met Delilah half way on her current route. "We're staying here?" She spluttered, not even attempting to hide her disgust. Jay shook his head and walked up the stairwell nearby to the second floor, not waiting for Delilah to catch up. "I'm sorry princess, but this is all I could afford. We don't all have fancy well-paying jobs." Jay unlocked the door and walked inside to their new room. He scanned the area, and then turned to Delilah. "Yeah, this is where we're staying until I catch Reznov. I'm getting some things out the car, stay here pet." Jay walked briskly out the room, and Delilah followed suit. "I will not stay when ordered, Mister Archer I don't know who you think you… Hey!" Delilah was cut off when Jay turned and lifted her over one shoulder, marched back to the room and dumped her unceremoniously on the bed. "You stay here. I won't tell you a third time. The settee's mine by the way, you can have the bed." Jay left the room to retrieve their things, while Delilah sat cross-legged on the bed and prepared her best scowl for when he got back.


	4. Think On Your Sins

**Just a quick update before I leave for the delightful area of Lancashire. J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter**

Jay never returned and Delilah decided to go look for him. She started her search in the motel lobby, and was directed to the local bar. She walked there quickly, her hand constantly around the shaft of her wand and her eyes flickering down every dark alleyway. When she reached her destination, she stood at the side and watched him as he drank and laughed with a small group of men. She listened in closer as one of them chuckled "What about that new woman, Jay? What's she like then?" Jay smiled and took a draught of the cheap bear he held in his hand. "Miss Ruchirat? She's a whore, masquerading as a little girl with any decency. Here's her file." He threw a stack of papers on the table, which was soon picked up and read by the men. "My god… Is this really how guys she's been with? Her own colleagues have said in a private memorandum that she is weak-willed and sexually promiscuous in the extreme… That's putting it a bit blunt isn't it?" Jay sat impassively in his chair, and drank from the bottle of beer while his own colleagues examined the papers. After a while, he cleared his throat and set the bottle down. "Gentlemen, it is quite simple. I don't care about any aspect of Miss Ruchirat and no more patience to pretend otherwise. However, she is still useful as a bargaining chip. If you fine fellows give me Reznov, I will leave for Shanghai to get the next guy on my list and you get her. What you do from there is up to you, it doesn't matter to me. Do we have a deal?"

When Jay and Delilah were reunited at their motel room, the basis for the next few weeks was assured. Jay would go out and acquire information through various dealings and Delilah would stay in the room, waiting for Jay to come back with food, usually a little drunk. Every night was a fresh argument and every morning Jay would bring her breakfast, apologise and leave her alone for the next eight hours, often calling her an ungrateful whore under his breath on the way out. She called him every name she knew and glared with her pale blue eyes as she watched him turn his back on her every morning. As Jay closed in on Reznov, she became increasingly worried of her imminent departure into even more unsavoury company than his own and in secret began to formulate a plan of escape.


	5. Inner Demons

**Greetings to all, this is primarily going to be a 'Delilah chapter', whereas the next one will be focused on Jay. J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me**

It was all futile. Nothing Delilah could think of would work; every escape she engineered fell short. She considered simply running away and hiding until someone found her but such a plan would likely see her in an even worse position than she was now. She sat on the bed, her knees under her chin and her arms around her legs, wallowing in the futile misery Jay Archer brought in her life, when she heard his loud, obnoxious voice from outside. "I'm snatching Reznov in one week's time. You know where to send Miss Ruchirat." Two voices acknowledged him with short grunts, before one asked "And you sure we can't touch, Archer?" That voice was Bill Williamson, a gang member who had guarded her with Javier Escuela in the cell she first woke up in. "Bill, if you do, I'll cut your heart out with a spoon and feed it to you, one piece at a time." Jay responded with mock levity. "Now get out of here. Wheels up at dawn." Two whip like cracks told Delilah the two other men had Apparated, before she heard the door click open and Jay walked in. She readied a glare at him, but as he entered the bedroom and looked at her, her glare melted. Tears formed in her eyes as he sat down beside her and started to talk. "I've got a plan to catch Reznov. It'll take a week. I want you out of the country before then. Bill and Javier are acquiring a plane right now." Delilah curled up into an even tighter ball as she mumbled "So you're not selling me then?" Jay shook his head. "Definitely not, pet. The men I was dealing with will be tipped off to the Ministry after I get Reznov and I'm sending you back home now. Two of my guys will accompany you to London to ensure your safety, where they'll take you to the Ministry. I'll have to bring Reznov to London after I'm done; I'll check up on you before I have to leave for Shanghai." Delilah snorted inelegantly, turning her head from him. "You've changed your tune. All you've done is hurt me since we got here. Why the sudden change of heart, assuming you have one?" Jay shrugged and leant back onto his hands, revealing a large knife jutting from his hip. She absent mindedly considered trying to kill him with it. "It's very hard being nice to someone who wants to start a fight all the time. I know you don't like me very much, but chivalry isn't quite dead yet." Jay reached a hand to Delilah's face and wiped away a few errant tears from her eyes, and Delilah recoiled slightly at the unfamiliar feeling on his skin on hers. He was unusually warm and his touch sent minute shocks throughout her body, which she passed off as disgust, not knowing what it really was. She felt strong fingers lifting her chin as Jay kissed her lightly on the lips before disappearing with a whip like crack, leaving her with closed eyes and mixed emotions.

A week later saw Delilah at home with her family and loved one, busy with her work. She was flicking through some Ministry files when a letter marked with a stylised 'J' fell out from between the pages. It read simply "Fancy getting a coffee? The coffee shop on the corner does a good one." Delilah stared at the note, unsure of what to do. Her mind reached a decision and before she realised what she was doing, she picked up her quill and wrote "Archer is in London. He'll be in a small coffee shop on the street corner. I'll try and keep him there as long as possible." She snatched up her hastily scribbled letter, and selected the fastest of her family owls and sent the bird to the office of Henry Garfeld. She left the house with a shouted "I'm going out, bye" and set out for the coffee shop in question, her hand tight around her wand. She'd get him back for Mexico, yet her resolve wavered when she rounded the corner and saw a familiar dark shape leant against the wall with a familiar cocky smirk as Jay stared at the dark overcast sky.


	6. Empty Promises

**Hi, sorry for not updating in a while, technical problems. I've been giving it some thought and I've decided to remove Miss Ruchirat from the story. After their brief fling, she isn't really important to Jay anymore, and she isn't central to the story from this point. I'm disillusioned with the character really. She might make a comeback later on but I don't think it's likely. If you disagree with this, PM me. J.K Rowling owns the Harry Potter world. **

Jay yawned and stretched, his claws digging slightly into the soil. He had left London before he decided not to see a frosty Delilah in a cafe. He'd returned to the Welsh grasslands he'd come to think of as home. Changing into his wolf form, he'd settled on a grassy hill over looking the Cheshire countryside. This was his birthplace and he felt happy here. He'd only just settled down before Trish appeared behind him with a loud crack. "Thought I'd have to look for you in a bar. Or a brothel." She sat down beside him as he changed back to his human form, cracking his neck as he did so. "That's cruel Trish. What's up ?" She shifted uncomfortably. "It's that Ruchirat woman. I think she's into you still. I've been taking a Polyjuice potion and hanging around her, you should see how she perks up whenever you're name's mentioned." Jay stretched his arms out behind him and snorted. "That best not be what you've come down to talk to me Trish. If she wants to follow me to Shanghai, she's free to, but I couldn't give a damn personally." Trish shook her head slowly as Jay stood up to leave. "I've known you for a long time and she's trouble for you Jay, I think you should avoid her." Jay watched the sun dip lower in the sky . "Don't worry, I don't think it'll be an issue. Keep an eye on her for me, and l'll do my best to avoid her." He settled down on the grass in his wolf form and watched the sun set on the Welsh countryside as Trish vanished.

Jay opened his eyes, annoyed to be woken from sleep. He was used to rising and sleeping with the sun, and sleep was a precious luxury for him, despite prophetic dreams about Delilah not being uncommon. The air hostess was making a god-awful noise and the desire to quietly cast a sleeping charm to shut her up flashed across his mind. The flight to Shanghai was a long one, between 10 and 15 hours depending on the wind. He'd decided against magical transport in an attempt to keep his prescene hidden from the Ministry. A glance at his watch showed he was half way through his journey. His leather jacket was not a comfortable pillow and he took it from behind his head and rubbed his sore neck. He'd made a few contacts in the Chinese Triad crime organisation and they would help him catch his next targets, in return for his enviable skills as a thief. He still didn't know what he had to steal but he didn't care. He'd wait and see what the future held.


	7. Of Rogues and Witches

**Thank you to all readers. J. owns Harry Potter; I do not.**

The rain fell like a flood from God as Jay stepped out of the airport into Shanghai, bright lights filling his vision. He blinked a few times, before his eyes dimmed sufficiently to accommodate the influx of light and started to walk in the direction of the low-rent area of town. Delilah was meant to stay with him until this little task of his had reached its conclusion but he'd sent her back to London before he'd set out for Shanghai. He finally felt free from her oppressive company, despite memories of her popping up from time to time. Most of the time he couldn't care less, although he had become more… reserved regarding women, less overly flirtatious. It also meant the Ministry probably thought he'd gone rogue after ditching her and the deal might be off for all he knew. So he had done what he had to do. He became a ghost.

The gaudy neon lights shone out like a beacon for the damned and the desperate, the name of the Blooming Rose hotel attracting the dregs of the city. Jay scratched his jaw as he yawned, feeling the need to shave his dark stubble. If he was going dark, it'd be wise to change what features he could. His tattoos could be hidden with the right clothing, his wild brown hair could be cut a lot shorter and even dyed a different colour and he'd check out the underground dealings to see if there were any magical items that could better hide his identity. He'd need an alias too. He considered all of this as he entered the hotel and bought a room, before muttering 'Obliviate' under his breath to remove all memory of him from the receptionist's memory. He climbed the stairs, concentrating on the various tasks he had to achieve while he was here. First thing, set up a secure link to Trish to get information about his target here. Somehow owls aren't going to cut it, he thought to himself. Second thing, work out a way of entering and leaving his new living quarters without being seen. A secret Portkey, perhaps. One end in his room, the one somewhere quiet like a back alley. Third, get booze. Fourth, contact the Triad and work out what the hell they wanted his services for.

Jay stepped into the cold Shanghai night, whiskey bottle in one hand and the other in his pocket, holding his wand. His room was hardly worth noting, there was a bed, a small kitchen and a broken television. "All the channels'd be in bloody Chinese anyway…" Jay grumbled to himself, taking a swig of the cheap whiskey and looking up and down the various alleyways of downtown Shanghai. He had decided to create a Portkey in his room, now he just had to find somewhere to place the other end. He shouldn't be doing it while intoxicated but he had past caring after the second bottle. It needed to be out of sight and somewhere practical, as he'd have to walk from it (as it was easier to track Apparition than Portkeys). A commotion made his ears prick up and he broke into a lazy jog to reach the location of the sound. Down yet another alley that made up this maze of buildings, a man held a woman at knifepoint. Jay assessed the situation that presented itself to him, the woman's clothes were ripped in places and she was crying profusely, pleading in . Jay sighed – this man clearly did not practice proper seduction, instead relying on intimidation- and took out his wand. The man turned to look at him in anger for a split second. Jay muttered "Reducto" under his breath, turning the knife into ash on the floor. The man turned and ran as Jay uttered "Expulso", causing the wall next to the man to explode, throwing him again the opposite wall violently. He glanced at the woman and pretended to tip a hat in her direction. "You're very welcome pet, good night". With a cheeky wink, he took a large swig of whiskey and disappeared with a loud crack.

Delilah stood in Garfeld's office, wondering why she'd been summoned. Maybe he'd finally taken her seriously and was going to redirect her to the Librarium to be a scrivener like she wanted. It wasn't glamorous but she did love books. Her musings ended as he entered, holding a file as he usually did. She read the title; Jay Archer. Great. Her thoughts became dark as he began to speak. "Archer's been spotted in Shanghai. We need to take him in before he meets up with the Triad and vanishes. We're sending you, Miss Ruchirat, to apprehend him. Don't disappoint." He gave her the file and walked towards the door. Delilah called after him "What happens when I bring in Archer? " Garfeld turned and his answer clawed at Delilah's heart. "We'll torture him to find out anything useful he knows, and then we'll feed him to the Dementors. He can't be trusted with this assignment anymore. And we know you want to see him brought low. The rewards will be substantial and the only cost is a man you knew only briefly and caused you nothing but pain in the end. See that it's done, please Delilah."


End file.
